Richard Cutts Shannon, Colby 1862

Richard Cutts Shannon, a member of the Colby class of 1862, became a member of the Volunteer Infantry in 1861, and was second Sergeant with Company H of the 5th Maine Regiment.

He served as an aide to General Slocum during much of the Civil War, and was held in Libby Prison for 18 days. By the end of the war he had become an Assistant Adjutant General in the Second Brigade, First Division of the 12th Army Corps.

Shannon's later life was spent as a lawyer, diplomat, and member of Congress (1895-99 from New York City.) He was the benefactor of the Shannon Observatory on the old campus.